Updates from last month's column:

Seamonkey version 1.0.2 has been released as of 06/01/2006. This is a continuation of the Mozilla Suite, which was discontinued by the Mozilla Foundation. It is based on the Mozilla 1.8.x code base, just as Firefox 1.5.0.2 and Thunderbird 1.5.0.2 are. Go to ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/seamonkey/releases/1.0.2/contrib/. There is an installer version (seamonkey-1.0.2.en-US.os2.installer.exe), and a zip file version (seamonkey-1.0.2.en-US.os2.zip). More info is at http://www.mozilla.org/ports/os2/.

NOTES:
1. Steve Wendt has a WarpZilla tips page at http://www.os2bbs.com/os2news/Warpzilla.html. One helpful tip he has deals with anti-aliased fonts.
2. This is primarily a bug-fix release and does not have any new functionality added.
3. Another site that has documentation of plugin support on OS/2 is at http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/OS2.html. This is also maintained by Steve Wendt.
4. If you are installing the zip file version, you must unzip the zip file yourself into a directory and then create or update a program object accordingly.
5. This version requires the GCC runtime; download that at http://download.innotek.de/gccos2/runtime/libc-0.5.1.exe (a self-extracting executable). The EMX runtime is no longer required if you don't already have it installed. The GCC runtime installer defaults to x:\OS2\DLL (where x is your OS/2 or eComStation boot drive); it may be preferable to put the runtime in the same directory as the Seamonkey executable.
6. This version requires an updated version of IPLUGINW.DLL for Java support; go to https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/attachment.cgi?id=196271.
7. Tony's notes on installing and running Mozilla (Seamonkey) are at http://www.scoug.com/os24u/2003/scoug310.mozilla.html.

The WarpZilla team has released Bon Echo Alpha 2 as of 05/23/2006. It is the second developer milestone on the path to Firefox 2.0. Firefox has been demoed by Tony Butka at previous SCOUG general meetings. It is a stand-alone browser based on Mozilla that does not include mail, news, composer, IRC, and the other frills. An announcement last year said that there will not be any more versions of Mozilla (as produced by the Mozilla Foundation) past the 1.7.x series, so Firefox is now the Foundation's official browser. Go to ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/bonecho/alpha2/contrib/; the file name is bonecho-alpha2-os2.zip. More info is at http://www.mozilla.org/ports/os2/.

NOTES:
1. Steve Wendt has a WarpZilla tips page at http://www.os2bbs.com/os2news/Warpzilla.html.
2. Since this is an alpha release, it is recommended for use only by developers and testers (unless you like playing with alphas). Therefore it is recommended you stick with Firefox 1.5.0.2 (see the May 2006 Download!)
3. You must unzip the zip file yourself into a directory and then create or update a program object accordingly.
4. These versions require the GCC runtime; download that at ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/gcc/libc-0.6.1-csd1.zip. The EMX runtime is no longer required if you don't already have it installed. It is suggested that you place LIBC061.DLL & GCC335.DLL in the same directory as the Bon Echo executable, since this is a different version of the GCC compiler than Firefox/Thunderbird 1.5.0.2, or for that matter, Seamonkey 1.0.2.
5. These versions require an updated version of IPLUGINW.DLL for Java support; go to https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/attachment.cgi?id=196271.
6. Tony's notes on installing and running Firefox are at http://www.scoug.com/os24u/2003/scoug310.mozilla.html.

WarpVision, which was demoed by Jordan Fox at the June 2004 SCOUG general meeting, is now at version 1.0.1 as of 05/23/2006. This is a player for DivX-3, DivX-4, DivX-5, XViD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, AVI, and ASF, with MP3/AC3 audio, DVD support, video overlay support, a Mozilla plugin (requires registration), and is skinnable. Go to ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/wvgui/.

NOTES:
1. More info is at http://warpvision.netlabs.org/.
2. You can find skins at http://os2.kiev.ua/en/wv.skins.php.
3. There are some Windows codecs you can use via Odin, available at ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/wvgui/wincodecs/.
4. It is recommended that you delete VIDEO2.INI first before installing over an older version.
5. The WarpVision team accepts donations at BMT Micro (https://secure.bmtmicro.com/ECommerce-Offsite/11980000.html) or at Mensys (http://shop.mensys.nl/catalogue/mns_Warpvision.html).

Paul Smedley has released a build of PHP version 5.1.4 beta 2 as of 05/24/2006. It is a server-side scripting language for the Web. Go to http://smedley.info/os2ports/php5.html.

NOTES:
1. This build now includes an Apache (version 2.2) module.
2. More info is at http://www.php.net/.
3. You will need the GCC runtime (LIBC061.DLL): download that at ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/gcc/libc-0.6.1-csd1.zip.
4. A PostgreSQL module is now available; go to http://smedley.info/pgsql.zip.

Paul Smedley has released MySQL version 5.0.21 beta 1 as of 05/04/2006. The MySQL database server is the world's most widely-used open-source database. The OS/2 port features named pipes, data replication, databases >2GB, and more. Go to http://smedley.info/os2ports.html. NOTE: You will need the GCC runtime (LIBC061.DLL); go to ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/gcc/libc-0.6.1-csd1.zip.

Paul Smedley has been busy! He's also released Apache version 2.2.2 beta 1 as of 05/05/2006. It is the premier web server of the Internet; newer versions use multi- threading and offer big performance improvements. Go to http://smedley.info/os2ports.html.

NOTES:
1. More info on Apache is at http://silk.apana.org.au/apache/apache_v2.shtml.
2. You will need the GCC runtime (LIBC061.DLL); go to ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/gcc/libc-0.6.1-csd1.zip.

PHPMyAdmin version 2.8.1 has been released as of 05/20/2006. This is a set of PHP scripts to administer MySQL over the Web. Go to http://phpmyadmin.sourceforge.net/.

DOSBox Front End version 3.0 has been released as of 05/30/2006. This is a GUI front-end for launching games using DOSBox. Use search key dosboxfront on Hobbes.

NOTES:
1. The author (Chris Roossien) says that this version is NOT compatible with DOSBox version 0.63 or older; you must use DOSBox version 0.65 (see below under "This month's new listings: Applications).
2. The author now has a converter to convert older DOSBox Front End CMD files to DOSBox 0.65; use search key dosboxfrontconverter on Hobbes.

NesCafe version 0.616 has been released. This is a Java Nintendo Entertainment System emulator, which includes the source code under the GPL. Go to http://www.davieboy.net/nescafe/.

PMRaw version 1.41 has been released as of 05/09/2006. This is a graphical front-end to dcraw, which lets you display images from digital cameras in RAW format, and convert them to BMP or JPG. Go to http://os2.zworks.de/PMRaw/eng/.

XWLAN (Wireless LAN Monitor) version 2.14 has been released as of 05/25/2006. It is available as a XCenter widget as well as a stand- alone program, and features connection monitoring, multiple connection profiles, generation of WEP keys, and more. English and German National Language support. Use search key xwlan on Hobbes, or go to http://wlan.netlabs.org/. NOTE: XWorkPlace or eWorkPlace (which comes with eComStation) is a prerequisite.

This month's new listings - Drivers:

SciTech SNAP Graphics version 3.1.6 has been released as of 05/19/2006. This is a universal video driver, with support for over 230 graphic chipsets, with extra features like zooming and multi-head. The latest version adds support for the Intel i945GM laptop chipset, has updated drivers for Intel i915G/i945G chipsets, updated ATI Rage 128 driver, and some other fixes. Go to http://www.scitechsoft.com/ftp/snap/os2/snap-os2-3.1.6.exe. More info is at http://www.scitechsoft.com/products/ent/snap_main.html. The README is at http://www.scitechsoft.com/ftp/snap/os2/readme.txt, the changelog is at http://www.scitechsoft.com/snap2_changes.txt, and the list of supported chipsets is at http://www.scitechsoft.com/chiplist/snap_os2_chiplist.html.

NOTES:
1. If you have the following:
   • An account at Mensys
   • eComStation 1.0 or higher
   • A current Software Subscription Services for eComStation subscription
   You can download SciTech SNAP Graphics for eComStation after signing-in at the Mensys website (https://shop.mensys.nl/indexuk.html).
2. Otherwise, you can purchase SciTech SNAP Graphics at Mensys (http://shop.mensys.nl/catalogue/mns_SNAP.html).

A driver for the Realtek RTL8169 network chipset is now at version 1.11 as of 05/11/2006. Go to http://www.os2warp.be/index2.php?name=gomindis#4.

Amouse version 2.70.08 has been released as of 05/21/2006. This scroll mouse driver has USB support, improved Logitech support, a XCenter widget, and more. Go to http://www.nbsoftware.de/sw_ms_en.htm.

This month's new listings - Applications:

DOSBox/2 version 0.65 has been released as of 04/28/2006. It is a DOS emulator that uses SDL; it emulates XMS, EMS, CGA, EGA, VGA, VESA, SoundBlaster, Gravis Ultra Sound, and more, for excellent compatibility with older games. Go to http://www.joschs-robotics.de/dosbox/. More info is at http://wiki.netlabs.org/index.php/DOSBox_Port.

UpdCD version 2.57 has been released as of 05/03/2006. It can be used to update the base Warp 3, Warp 4, Warp Server for e-Business, Convenience Pack, or eComStation installation files with FixPaks, and supports the creation of updated installation diskettes. You can use the updated OS/2 image in conjunction with these diskettes to create new installations of OS/2 which already incorporate the FixPaks and other software. Go to http://www.updcd.tk/. NOTE: This is a fix release which should be installed on top of an existing UpdCD 2.5x installation.

DFSee, which has been presented by Tony Butka at previous SCOUG general meetings, is now at version 8.02 as of 06/01/2006. It is an FDISK, display, and recovery tool for disks and filesystems. It includes the ability to resize FAT and FAT32 partitions, and now has expanded JFS support (allowing filesystem check, recovery, undelete, and smart imaging). It also now has enhancements for removable media such as eject, discover and display removable-status in many existing displays. Go to http://www.dfsee.com/dfsee/. Tony's tutorial on DFSee is at http://www.scoug.com/os24u/2001/scoug012.dfseetutorial.html.

NOTES:
1. You can also use search key dfsee on Hobbes.
2. DFSee is shareware. Registration is at Mensys (http://shop.mensys.nl/catalogue/mns_DFSee.html).
3. There is a zip file version, and now a version that can be installed using WarpIN as well.

ClamAV version 0.88.2 has been released as of 05/05/2006. This is a GPL anti-virus toolkit, which features a command-line scanner, a tool for automatic updating via the Internet, and integration with mail servers (attachment scanning). Use search key clamav on Hobbes.

CDDVDrtools version 1.6rc1 has been released as of 05/26/2006. This is based on CDRecord with the OSSDVD patch. It doesn't require ASPIROUT.SYS, and USB CD/DVD devices are supported. It now includes a custom OS2CDROM.DMD with support for a new CD/DVD transport. Go to http://froloff.homeip.net/.

SoX (Sound eXchange) version 12.18.1 has been released as of 04/26/2006. It translates sound samples between different file formats, and optionally applies various sound effects. Some of the formats supported are AIFF, AU, PCM, CD-R (music CD format), VOC, WAV, and many others. Go to http://froloff.homeip.net/utils/. NOTE: More info is at http://sox.sourceforge.net/.

WDSibyl has been updated as of 05/13/2006. This is an open-source continuation of the commercial product Sibyl, which is a Pascal / Delphi compiler. The web site is in German, but there is English documentation available. Go to http://members.chello.at/webstar/wdsibyl.html.

MultiZilla version 1.8.2.0i has been released as of 05/21/2006. This is an extension that adds more features to the tabbed interface in Mozilla. Go to http://multizilla.mozdev.org/.

IBM Alphaworks has released version 1.2.9 of a MPEG-4 player and content creator development kit that works with Java 1.3.1 as of 04/24/2006. According to Steve Wendt, it plays MPEG-4 video (samples included) just fine on a PII-300MHz machine. Go to http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/tk4mpeg4.

FFMpeg version 0.49pre has been updated as of 05/11/2006. This is a complete (command-line driven) solution to record, convert, and stream audio and video. Go to http://smedley.info/os2ports.html.

NOTES:
1. More info is at http://ffmpeg.sourceforge.net/.
2. You will need the GCC runtime (LIBC061.DLL); download that at ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/gcc/libc-0.6.1-csd1.zip.

FFPlay version 0.49pre has been updated as of 05/18/2006. This is a tool to convert video files from one format to another (i.e. .AVI to .MPG). Go to http://smedley.info/os2ports.html.

NOTES:
1. More info is at http://ffmpeg.sourceforge.net/.
2. You will need the GCC runtime (LIBC061.DLL); download that at ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/gcc/libc-0.6.1-csd1.zip.

NetDrive version 3.0.4 has been updated as of 05/10/2006. It allows users to mount a FTP site or a local directory or a network resource to a virtual volume. This version has 64-bit file support, and special support for the Samba client from NetLabs (no shareware timeout). There are also many other plugins available, including NFS, VFAT (recently updated), ISO, Psion, and more. Go to http://www.blueprintsoftwareworks.com/netdrive/news.html; for the plugins, go to http://www.blueprintsoftwareworks.com/netdrive/plugins1.html.

The Java Image Browser Sorter is now at version 1.6.3 as of 05/14/2006. It requires Java 1.4; go to http://img-browse-sort.sourceforge.net/.

GNU Make version 3.81 r2 and Automake version 1.9.6 have been released as of 05/26/2006. These are essential tools for developing and/or porting open-source programs. For GNU Make, go to http://unix.os2site.com/sw/pub/binary/make/; for Automake, go to http://unix.os2site.com/pub/source/automake/.

Speaking of Make and Automake, there is Smake version 1.2.34 as of 05/14/2006. This is a highly portable make program with automake features. Use search key smake on Hobbes; more info is at http://cdrecord.berlios.de/old/private/smake.html.

Links version 2.1pre21 has been released as of 05/11/2006. It is a small and fast web browser that supports graphics, Javascript, font smoothing, tables, and allows for considerable customization of the cache, character set, and more. Go to ftp://weird.da.ru/os2/internet/pmlinks-2.1pre21-emx.zip. NOTE: By the file name, it seems to imply that the EMX runtime is needed; if you are not running eComStation 1.1 or greater (where it is installed by default), use search key emxrt on Hobbes. For help with installation, see the June 2002 Mr. Know-It-All (http://www.scoug.com/os24u/2002/scoug206.mrkia.html).

Brutus version 1.0 beta 2 has been released as of 05/17/2006. This is a Java 1.4 program to organize and catalog collections of albums (recordings), books, movies, and software, such as LP's, CD's, DVD's, MPG files, or anything else. Go to http://www.casaerwin.com/Brutus.html.

T&V HappyPlayer version 2.00 beta 7 has been released as of 05/09/2006. This is a PM application that operates TV cards built on the Brooktree BT848 chip, including some ATI and nVidia cards. Go to http://en.ecomstation.ru/projects/happyplayer/.

Guiffy, which has been presented at several SCOUG general meetings in the past, is now at version 7.3 as of 05/08/2006. It is a file compare / merge (diff-like) tool with a GUI implemented in Java. Go to http://www.guiffy.com/.

DCRaw version 8.17 has been released as of 05/16/2006. It is a digital camera RAW file conversion utility. Use search key dcraw on Hobbes.

MediaPlayerConnectivity version 0.6.2 has been released as of 05/21/2006. This extension for Firefox and Seamonkey replaces video streams with a button that allows you to launch external players, such as WarpVision. Go to http://membres.lycos.fr/sethnakht/.

JExpressProfessional version 7.0 has been released. It allows you to create Java-based multi-lingual installers and auto-updaters. An easy-to-use Swing interface allows you to design your installers quickly without requiring any programming. It can also select the exact classes your Java app uses, build your directory tree, and produce JAR files. Go to http://www.denova.com/.

Ghostscript version 8.54 has been released as of 05/23/2006. It is a freeware PostScript interpreter/converter for generating Acrobat (PDF) documents; it is also the display engine for GSView. Go to http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/.

Pipepatch has been released as of 05/29/2006. It will increase the pipe buffer size of pipes instantiated with the pipe operator (|) of CMD.EXE from 512 bytes to 65,024 bytes (by default). This will significantly improve the throughput and reduce the CPU load. In fact, it reduces the minimum number of task switches per megabyte from 4,096 to about 33. Use search key pipepatch on Hobbes.

EmperoarTV, which has been demoed by Jerry Rash at previous SCOUG general meetings, is now at version 1.08r as of 05/30/2006. This software brings support for the Hauppauge PVR150/250/350/500 TV cards, including high- quality MPEG2 hard disk recording and playback. You can listen to FM radio programs in stereo, watch TV programs in excellent image quality, and more. Also available is DVDFront, a front-end that simplifies the creation of video DVDs out of recordings made by EmperoarTV. It now supports both WarpOverlay and SNAP overlays. Go to http://www.s-t.de/emperoar/.

DirDiff version 2.07 has been released as of 05/28/2006. It is a directory compare program, and compares all files in two sub-directories or whole directory trees. It can be used for many file management activities, and is a must-have tool for software developers. Go to http://www.ws-it.de/en/product/ddiff/.

PCI Utilities version 2.2.3 has been released as of 06/01/2006. This package contains various utilities for inspecting and setting of devices connected to the PCI bus. Use search key pciutils on Hobbes.

SCOUG, Warp Expo West, and Warpfest are trademarks of the Southern California OS/2 User Group. OS/2, Workplace Shell, and IBM are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.